University welcomes landmark legal education decision in Singapore

The University of Melbourne has welcomed the Federal Government's announcement that the Juris Doctor qualifications of 10 Australian universities, including Melbourne, will now be recognised in Singapore.

The decision was made as part of the Singapore Australia Fair Trade Agreement (SAFTA) under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Susan Elliott said the announcement spoke volumes about the quality of legal education available at Melbourne. “We’ve long maintained that the legal education provided at Melbourne is equal to the best in the world, with the Melbourne Law School regularly ranking in the top 10 globally according to QS.”

“As a University we’ve always been very proud of the diverse, international student cohort that we attract to our campuses and this decision further entrenches the Law School as a preferred destination for legal studies for students from around the world.”

Dean of the Melbourne Law School Professor Carolyn Evans said the announcement was a welcome one. “I am delighted by this recognition of the quality of Melbourne and other Australian JD law degrees by Singapore.”

“Singaporean students have long been an important part of the higher education landscape in Australia. We have a great deal of respect for the quality of students from Singapore and it is wonderful to see this official recognition by Singapore of the quality of Australian legal education.”

“I am grateful to the Australian government and the staff of the High Commission for the work that they have undertaken over many years to achieve this result,” concluded Professor Evans.

The announcement also made provisions for Singapore to ratchet formal law alliances and joint law venture schemes equivalent to what is currently available via the United States-Singapore FTA.